Traveling to CA should I just leave the CCW home?

Active Member

All,
I am traveling to California with the family for spring break. Driving the mini-van down to SoCal to see Wife's family. I know CA doesn't honor my Oregon CCW, so should I just leave my piece home? I don't like being unarmed, I always at least have my Kel-Tec P3AT on me. If I bring say the Kel-Tec, can I lock it in a lock box and have it handy in our hotel room?

Member

That is a hard question! My wife has been bugging me about bringing the kids to Disney Land but the only thing I can think about is being unarmed. I am trying to convince her that Silverwood in Idaho would be much funner and also concealed carry permit acceptable. (I think)

Active Member

I would bring it just to use in your hotel and so you have it once you enter Oregon again. Just remember, you can't take 11+ round mags into Cali, Cali does not consider mag parts to be magazines so I can get away with disassembled mags while driving through Cali to get to Nevada, but at no time are they to be assembled in California. I don't know much about your Kel-Tech but I'd assume it doesn't have 11+ round mags

Member

Well-Known Member

it is unloaded and locked into a hard case, no ammunition in that case. Ammunition needs to be in a separate container, also locked and hard sided.

I am not certain about the mag capacity in Calif.. I know residents cannot possess a mag with over 10 round capacity.... except those in possession before their restriction, which I think started in 1994. Not sure about non-residents.

I believe that a hotel/motel is considered to be your residence... and that it is legal to have weapons inside. Not sure whether they have to be locked, unloaded, all that sort of nonsense.

I also know that open carry in Calif is legal... IF the weapon is not loaded. Loaded mags/speeders can be in possession... in fact, mag pouch on one side, handgun on the other, is legal... but I'm not certain whether that applies to non-residents.

The problem with Calif's laws, all of them, is that they are not well codified.. in other words, there may be one restriction/prohibition in one place, and another somewhere else. You can't just sit down and read through all the firearms laws in one place.

I'd recommend getting onto one of the gun forum places down there... california concealed carry is one, I think, and the biggest one, similar to this one, is Cal Guns. (calguns.org, I think). Most such sites have a section legal stuff, like we do.

Another site is www.gunlaws.com, a VERY comprehensive site with pretty current laws from every state. Click on the California map, it will open up a page with several links to sites.. how I found the Calif Concealed Carry site. Good stuff there. Also links to the state government and actual laws and codes, fairly well organised. A slog, though.

I also know that Federal law allows a motorist to travel through any state with their weapons in the vehicle (though where required they must be unloaded, as in California) IF you are passing through.... you are stopping, so that would not apply. I believe that federal law also specifies that any weapon or equipment lawfully owned/possessed in the home state can be carried, as passing through. In other words, if a large cap mag is legal in Washington, I can have one in my car if I am driving through Calif. Maybe the cops won't know that, though.....

As far as attempting to conceal a weapon in your car, that is illegal..... I'd not risk it. If the CHP or other local LEO catches a hint you're hiding something, they CAN, and often WILL, detain you, get a warrant, or call for powder sniffing dogs to come check you out. IF the dogs hit, they've now got probable cause to search even without a warrant. If they search they WILL find it. Best carry it per California's unconstitutional requirements. Then Fifi won't pose any threat.

There was an amazing thread on here sometime last fall, one of our members was involved in a shooting at a rest stop in far northern California.... a bunch of drunks began to assault him in a roadside rest stop, he happened to be near his open trunk, wher he carried his Glock, unloaded, in the top of a suitcase, also locked, and a box of ammo with loaded mags, also locked, nearby. he ended up firing some shots to warn, talking to the cops on the phone while it was all coming down. Cops got there lickety split, put off the BG's (actually let them get into their pickup and drive off... amazing, no charges for their assault/insults, nothing for drunk in public..... hey, I thought they were there to enforce the LAW? Or is it now legal in that insane republic to do such things to strangers?) Cops put him through a fine mesh seive, asked him a bazilllion questions about where the gun had been stored in his car..... they escorted him to the border and let him go. I have NO DOUBT if he'd broken any laws, they'd have tossed his backside in the lockup, after taking his weapon. He'd probably still be there, awating trial.

Well-Known Member

Yup do not take chance to break the law in ca, once you get caught you will have a felony ... Say goodbye to all your gun right, dont open carry either because all cops in cali like to harrass uoc (i am not bashing cops) but i travel to cali monthly so I have been reading a lot of cali open carry. You can check out opencarry.org. Its impossible to get chpin cali, so everyone is doing open carry. Lots of people got arrest

Your lock trunk is consider lock box, dont keep the mags in the gun. Used magazine with less then 10 rounds to be on your safe side.

Active Member

Get a Ca legal mag for your gun or take a revolver with speedloaders.
Either way, I'd get a car-type gun safe that locks and keep your gun in it when you're in CA. Keep it in the trunk or out of reach from the drivers seat.
You'll be fine.

Active Member

it is unloaded and locked into a hard case, no ammunition in that case. Ammunition needs to be in a separate container, also locked and hard sided.

I am not certain about the mag capacity in Calif.. I know residents cannot possess a mag with over 10 round capacity.... except those in possession before their restriction, which I think started in 19941/1/2000. Not sure about non-residents (no mags over 10rds).

I believe that a hotel/motel is considered to be your residence... and that it is legal to have weapons inside. Not sure whether they have to be locked, unloaded, all that sort of nonsense.

I also know that open carry in Calif is legal... IF the weapon is not loaded. Loaded mags/speeders can be in possession... in fact, mag pouch on one side, handgun on the other, is legal(but can vary by city/county/population)... but I'm not certain whether that applies to non-residents.

<snip>

SO-- guns ARE legal in that state... with some serious restrictions.

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Almost

You can bring your Kel-Tec....BUT

You can not bring in any mag with a capacity over 10 rounds
it must be transported it in a locked container and unloaded
ammo needs to be separated from firearm but does not need to be locked up

Open carry, way to risky in CA, not enough agencies/officers are aware and it is also based on county population.

You can bring it as long as it is in a locked container, no worries about keeping it in the hotel room, unless their have a policy against it.

Active Member

A Kel-tec P3At holds six rounds in the magazine so you have no problem with the 10 round magazine limitation. I always carry my kel-tec with me on trips to CA, locked in the trunk in luggage. gun unloaded but magazines available that are loaded, this may be a problem, but the gun is not accessible from the drivers compartment. I will never admit to having a weapon. To drive at night in that state without some way to defend yourself and your family if your car breaks down is to big a risk, in my humble opinion.

It is important to have a gun in many of the motels that you may visit on your trip and I always do. I never carry on my person and make every attempt to avoid breaking any laws.

Well-Known Member

Just don't bring it. I promise you will not like what happens if they find it. I spent 18 years there and they don't like hanguns. I am talking LA and San Diego and if they find one on you or see one I gurantee you will be arrested and charged with who knows what. If you do decide to go make sure of the 10 round limit and I would not have it loaded. There law states that the ammo and weapon have to be seperate in the car and not available. Ammo in glove compartment and weapon in trunk. It sucks but thats the way it is. I just don't find it worth but that is your choice. Good luck in whatever you decide. Be safe.

Member

When traveling in incorporated areas in CA, the handgun must be unloaded and in a locked container and NOT in the glovebox. The ammo CAN be in the same locked container. Police will sometimes tell you otherwise. Do NOT conceal the ammo by itself, (say in your pocket or glovebox or under the seat).

You do not need to lock a long gun (with some exceptions for school zones.)

Knives can carry a heavier penalty for being concealed than a handgun. Bring
a folder, not a fixed blade.

Active Member

Last time I went to CA I left my keltec and bought a BB pistol in SoCal instead. (After buying the BB gun, I noticed a warning on the back of the package that said something to the effect that it may be illegal in CA to carry/display this BB gun).

I really, really hate going there and being unarmed, but I was mainly going to be spending my time in national parks, so it would've been illegal to have any accessible firearm anyway, and I figured a BB gun was better than nothing. Having a pistol locked up where you can't get to it doesn't do a lot of good.

In the past I've hauled a single shot 12ga down there as well, but a 28" barrel wouldn't do a lot of good if you're trying to aim it inside a tent or a car.

It's a real shame that we have states where people have to choose between getting busted for a felony if they have a gun readily accessible to them, or allowing themselves to be defenseless and at the mercy of potential criminals.

Silver SupporterSilver Supporter2016 Volunteer

Just got back from driving thru CA to Nevada and back, took my PF9 and kept it unloaded and in the back with the mag in a separate compartment. But, I took it into my hotel room loaded next to the bed. That's as far I can go.

Well-Known Member

I don't ever plan on going back to California, period. I drive around it going E. on hwy 140 and dropping down into Nev. It's just as fast if I want to go E. If I were farther N. I'd take I-84 and drop down to Salt Lake.

Well-Known Member

That is a hard question! My wife has been bugging me about bringing the kids to Disney Land but the only thing I can think about is being unarmed. I am trying to convince her that Silverwood in Idaho would be much funner and also concealed carry permit acceptable. (I think)

Bruce.

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Isn't Disneyland considered one of the safest places in the world? I've heard security there is crazy.

Active Member

I carry a Kel-Tec P3AT always. It holds 6+1 rounds. I have a CZ-82 that I carry in the Winter too. My wife is still being warmed up to the whole CC thing. Most of the time I don't tell her or talk about it when I carry.

She is a Nurse and gets off work in the middle of the night and I have talked to her about getting a CHL. She is warming up to the idea, very slowly.

For the trip to CA, their laws really complicate things. Besides, what good is an unloaded pistol in the back of the minivan?

I just don't want to bother with it. We are going to Disneyland and visiting her family. I think I will buy some pepper spray and hope for the best. I hope there are no laws in CA against pepper spray????? I don't plan on visiting CA again for the reason of being unarmed.

It has been a dream of hers to take the kids to Disneyland and this is it. I don't really care for Disneyland or CA, but I am keeping momma happy.

Wish me luck that we don't run into trouble and get back to Oregon in one piece!!!

Active Member

I don't ever plan on going back to California, period. I drive around it going E. on hwy 140 and dropping down into Nev. It's just as fast if I want to go E. If I were farther N. I'd take I-84 and drop down to Salt Lake.

I didn't lose anything in Calif.

There's a "Disneyland" in Fla.

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I thought about taking that route but highway 50 in NV is the road I want to travel across NV to get to UT and dropping into NV from OR mean I'd have to do some backtracking, so I'll just disarm and disassemble my mags for the ~150 miles I'm in CA..

Member

I don't ever plan on going back to California, period. I drive around it going E. on hwy 140 and dropping down into Nev. It's just as fast if I want to go E. If I were farther N. I'd take I-84 and drop down to Salt Lake.

I didn't lose anything in Calif.

There's a "Disneyland" in Fla.

Click to expand...

I'm with this guy. Heck with California. Why go there and spend money and look over your shoulder all the time.

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